Weapon Of Choice: BMW M4 GTS

When BMW puts the “GTS” badge on a car, you know they mean business. The M4 GTS is a track-ready, street-legal beast that is sure …

When BMW puts the “GTS” badge on a car, you know they mean business. The M4 GTS is a track-ready, street-legal beast that is sure to become a classic as BMW will only ever build 700 examples. We were lucky enough to be invited over to BMW Seattle’s showroom to get up-close and personal with this stunning Alpine White version.

We’ve seen it in the past with the E92 M3 GTS and we’re seeing it now with the current generation F82 M4 GTS. It costs twice as much as a bone-stock M4, but what you get in return is the newest, most extreme track-ready BMW that is still street-legal, in existence.

BMW went to town with the carbon treatment starting with the carbon-ceramic brakes, which come as standard. They also made sure that the hood, roof, driveshaft and strut brace were all carbon fiber too. Lastly, because it’s not trying to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but rather a very obvious, orange-clad aero-packing wolf, it comes with an adjustable front splitter and rear wing, which are also made of carbon fiber.

Speaking of the rear, the M4 GTS is the very first car to be equipped with BMW’s OLED lighting system installed on the rear tail lights. The impressive technology behind the organic light-emitting diodes creates a stunning display of light and depth, unlike any I’ve ever seen. It’s important that it’s pretty, because honestly on-track, as you pass every other car, you want to make sure that those now trailing you have something pretty to look.

Back to the interior of the car, where carbon prevails once again as the door panels are covered in it. If you look in the rear area where your standard M4 would have two small seats, the GTS houses a serious-looking roll-cage painted in the same acid orange color that you see on the wheels and front aero-splitter. Door grab-handles? I don’t think so. Those add extra weight! BMW gives you a nice, black, nylon strap which has the M colors sewn in. I told you BMW means business!

Power has also been increased. The standard non-Competition Package M4 puts out 425 hp. The M4 GTS, thanks mainly to a special water-injection system that allows the car to cool the intake charge, puts out 493hp. That’s 68 more ponies for you to unleash onto the track. And as you unleash all 493 of those ponies, you’ll be shifting gears via the DCT-transmission that the GTS comes equipped with. A manual option, unfortunately, is not offered.

We didn’t have a chance to drive the GTS this time around, but we were able to fire it up and hear its monster exhaust-note. As best as I can describe it, it sounds like Thor gargled a glass full of shrapnel and then proceeded to sing his angry rendition of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” WARNING – It’s very loud! See below:

MSRP on this master-class jewel in BMW’s crown is $133,205.00 but this example has a few additional goodies that make it truly one-of-a-kind!

Be sure to check out the photo gallery and let us know what you think via comments below!